Pyrrha
by Arlnoff
Summary: War is coming to Arendelle. Pyrrha, the recently crowned Fire Queen of Gotland, seeks to destroy her only equal, and thus the only threat to her power. Elsa must act quickly if she is to save her kingdom, her people, and her friends.
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

**Arlnoff speaking. This is my first fanfic. I would GREATLY appreciate constructive criticism, because I have ludicrously high standards and no idea how to get there. This is the introduction to a multi-chapter; the first chapter should be coming tonight. Happy reading!**

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Pyrrha stood in the smoldering ruins of the city, embers and smoke swirling around her. Her own people had chased her out, called her, _her_, their own princess, a witch. She had shown them. If they called her a witch she would be one. The worst was, her family had supported them. The King and Queen of Gotland had shut her out, labelled her an outcast. They had burned. They had all burned, and the smoking ruins of Visby would lie as a monument to her power. She would rebuild the palace in the ash-heap, and rule her people as they deserved. Thinking of their betrayal roused Pyrrha's anger again, and she threw a bolt of summoned flame at a piece of timber that had dared to escape her fire. It was charcoal in a heartbeat.


	2. Chapter 2: Prisoner

**Arlnoff speaking. Here is the promised real first chapter.**

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_One year later_

Elsa watched the wedding preparations with satisfaction. They had started only the day before, and the wedding itself was tomorrow. Elsa shook her head, marveling at how fast it had all gone. But it was her sister, after all, and Anna had always been energetic.

It was unusual, of course, for a common man to marry into the royal family, but for Kristoff Elsa made an exception. He had already proven his love and loyalty for Anna in the events of last year, and he had even been able to wait an entire month before proposing. Elsa frowned a bit at that: Hans had forever cast his shadow over marriage in the house of Arendelle.

But Kristoff was different. Elsa smiled again at the memory of how nervous Anna had been at the prospect of asking for _another_ blessing after her last shot at matrimony had gone so horribly wrong. She need not have worried. Kristoff had proven himself a good man, unnatural love for reindeer notwithstanding, and he would bring some much-needed warmth into the castle. Everything was going to be perfect.

Elsa was jolted out of her reverie by a crash as the hall doors burst open. She whirled around, snowflakes falling from her fingertips, but it was only Jarl, her adviser. Elsa relaxed; it was probably just some problem with the decorations. That thought vanished once he was closer: Jarl's eyes held fear and a deep worry.

He bowed quickly. "Queen Elsa, I have grave news."

"Yes? What is it?"

"We have captured a spy. He snuck over the borders, and despite being armed and armored he had no device or insignia on him. He had extensive maps of the Kingdom's defenses, as well as notes in cypher."

"Bring him to the throne room. I will be there presently."

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Elsa walked briskly to her room to prepare herself both physically and mentally. The spy might have another mission as well. An assassin, perhaps, sent by one of those who thought her powers heresy, and believed she was a monster. Elsa had to remind herself again: she was not a monster. As long as she did not allow herself to become one, she was not a monster. But others could be, and she had to be ready for an attempt on her life. There had already been one: an arrow, shot directly at her mere weeks after her coronation, that she had frozen out of the air. They had never found the archer.

As she hurried past, Elsa commanded a servant to fetch the captain of the guard. Odvin was a large man who had loyally served her father for years, and now served her equally well. He was one of the only people whom her ice powers did not faze. He figured it was his job to protect her, and he had no time for silly worries about witchcraft or whatnot. Elsa liked him, but a friendship seemed precluded by their quiet natures and Odvin's keen observance of protocol around his Queen. But no matter; she still had Anna. Though, of course, she would see less of her after the wedding…

"Hi Elsa!" Anna exclaimed, seeing her sister sweeping down the hall. "What's the hurry? Is everything OK with the decorations?"

Elsa's mouth was a grim slash as she turned towards her sister. As Anna observed her sister's tense posture, she grew worried. Elsa was always serious, but this was worse than usual. This was only emphasized as Anna noticed her breath frosting in front of her: Elsa had spent the past year working hard to control her powers, and only very strong emotions could now cause inadvertent freezing.

"Is it… about the wedding?" Anna asked, still clinging to the hope that it was something trivial.

"No, no not that," said Elsa, forcing a smile. "No, the guards found a man they presume is a spy crossing the border. I'm going to interrogate him, and… I thought it wise to get some protection."

"Oh." Anna was now looking worried, her normally cheerful face shadowed with concern for her sister. "Be careful Elsa," Anna said, giving her a hug.

Elsa hugged back tightly, feeling her sister's warmth against her eternally cool body. "I will."

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Elsa faced the mirror, putting her best regal face on. A normal dress would not do for this occasion, especially not one as plain as the one she was currently wearing. Though it was only a spy, if he passed a message his description of her would form a potential enemy's first impression. And besides, a little intimidation wouldn't hurt.

Elsa crossed her hands over her chest and drew them up her arms, then down her body. Frost flowed in a wave up from her wrists, freezing her gown into a deep, dark blue. The ice was patterned like chainmail, with the tiniest hexagons interlocking into an enchanted armor only pretending to be a dress. The original gown had been a simple straight cut of solid blue, so Elsa added some ornamentation: snowflakes on the sleeves, a dash of white diagonal across her waist, and two large snowflakes sticking up from her shoulders like pauldrons to enhance the message: this was no dinner gown, but a war dress.

Elsa nodded, satisfied. That should at least hinder any direct attack on her person, and it would probably not be necessary anyway with Odvin by her side. It was time to meet the prisoner.


	3. Chapter 3

**Arlnoff speaking. For the two of you following this, sorry it took so long. I have a hard time bringing myself to type all this up, nervousness I guess. This one is rather long. PLEASE review, ESPECIALLY with (constructive) criticism. I really want to improve my writing.**

**After reading a bit more on this site, I appear to be ignoring a custom. I do not own Frozen or any of its characters.**

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Odvin met Elsa at the door to the throne room. The worry had affected him too: his posture was even stiffer than usual, and his eyes were focused sharply on his queen. Odvin had ascended to Captain of the Guard three years ago at the age of only 21, following the death of his father. Those three years did not feel like enough for what was happening now. This intrusion could mean war, and besides the Hans crisis of last year Odvin had not really seen any action in Arendelle.

Elsa glanced at him, trying and failing to smile. "Are you ready to go in?"

"Yes, my Queen. I would like to caution you about this man. It is always possible he was sent here as part of an attempt on your life."

"I have considered that, Odvin. I am prepared."

Odvin nodded, though he clearly did not want to have his Queen before a potential assassin.

Elsa burst through the doors with a swirl of snow and strode confidently to her throne, her icy dress glittering like midwinter's frost on the castle's battlements. Settling regally into her throne, she looked on the prisoner.

Hobbled and kneeling as he was, it was clear the prisoner was tall, and oddly thin for a warrior. His black plate armor was certainly unusual for a spy or assassin, but even more curious was his helmet. It was a solid piece of metal: no noseguard, no visor, no holes at all. The man was fully enclosed.

Elsa puzzled over his appearance for a while, but decided to disregard the oddities. They were irrelevant in the face of a potential invasion. She called out to the figure kneeling before her, "Who are you who comes armed and uninvited into our realm?"

The figure remained silent.

Elsa twisted her fear of invasion and conflict into anger, and tried again: "Who is your lord? Who are you? And why were you sent?"

The figure had not moved at all. Elsa began to wonder if he had actually died, asphyxiated by his gear. Elsa motioned to a guard. "Remove his helmet."

The guard approached warily. This prisoner was odd, very odd. He had not said a word ever since his capture, and had moved very reluctantly, even when forced. In fact, the only resistance he had shown after the first struggle of his capture was when they had tried to remove his armor. He had not even twitched when they had confiscated his sword.

He reached out his hand slowly. The Queen was staring, eyes wide. He swallowed. Then his hand jerked forward, violently undoing the leather clasp that secured the prisoner's helmet to his cuirass. As soon as he did, the prisoner began struggling fiercely against his bonds. Everyone flinched back at the loud clattering of armor in the otherwise breathlessly silent room.

"Remove it!" Elsa repeated, nearly shouting over the din. "He cannot harm you!"

The guard approached again, bracing himself. He dashed forward, ripping the prisoner's helmet completely off, and yelping as his hands burned unexpectedly on the hot metal. A gout of angry red flame jetted from the top of the armor. All present gasped: there was no one inside the armor, and there never had been. The flame was still there, roaring in a pillar, consuming nothing but the empty air, but now vaguely reforming… into a face.

"Sorcery," Odvin murmured. "My Queen, I am not sure if I can protect you from this."

Elsa's mind raced at the implications. Only someone like her, someone with control over flame instead of ice, could have created such a creature. It would be dangerous for her to face down such a thing, let alone an unpowered man like Odvin.

"I know," Elsa replied, face grim. "It is now I who must protect all of you. Guards!" she said firmly, "I will not endanger you against something you cannot fight. Leave the room, return to your barracks, and do not say a word to the citizens. This must be broken to them gently." They murmured and stirred, clearly wanting to leave, but feeling bound by duty to their young queen. "Leave," Elsa repeated. "You will only get in the way."

They bowed, relieved to no longer have to worry about guarding their queen against an apparition of flame. Elsa blew the doors shut behind them and froze the hinges. If Anna burst into the throne room like she was want to do, she could be hurt. Looking around, she noticed Odvin had not left. His sense of duty could not be swayed, even by magic. Elsa sighed. "Odvin, if you must stay, at least step back. I do not want to freeze you by accident."

Odvin obeyed, though he was still not happy with the queen being so close to the… thing. Elsa closed her eyes, banishing her worry and fear to take full control of her powers. Regular use of them since last year had given her much more control than concealing and not feeling had for well over a decade. The temperature dropped quickly, frost forming on the windows, then the walls. The face of flame flickered steadily. Elsa took a breath, then shot a ball of her power at the ceiling.

Odvin stared in awe as a blizzard developed in the throne room. In only seconds, the floor was covered in snow, quickly building into drifts. Icicles grew before his eyes from the ceiling and walls. After about a foot of snow had fallen, the room-sized storm stopped abruptly, leaving a few flakes hanging gently in the air.

Elsa smiled slowly, admiring her work. Now for the hard part. Taking another breath, she slammed her foot into the snow. Spreading like a fractal from the point of impact, a glowing blue force lifted the snow swirling into the air. It whirled in streams and eddies, condensing the coating into regions of the room that shrank into ever smaller swirls, until it finally all coalesced into… snowmen. Not childish like Olaf, or a monster like Marshmallow, but true men, with the height and stance of warriors. Their chests, legs, and arms froze solid on the outside, forming into icy armor decorated with the crest of Arendelle and the personal mark of their queen: a solitary snowflake.

A dozen statues of snow and ice stood in a ring around Elsa and the prisoner. Then, as one, they shook themselves, like they were waking from a deep sleep. Their eyes blinked open, glowing an icy blue, and the newformed warriors of ice stamped to attention.

Odvin was thunderstruck. He had seen Elsa use her powers, of course, and had heard tales of the ice castle in the mountains, but now he realized how truly powerful she was. But his mind was practical and quickly recovered from the shock. "Queen Elsa," he began quietly, "Should… should I get them weapons?"

"No need," said Elsa with a gentle smile, as she conjured swords and spears for the lot of them. She gestured to the warriors of ice, her guardians against the flame. "They are yours to command, Odvin."

The ice guards turned to Odvin and saluted. He looked almost bemused at being given the command of such otherworldly beings. "Ah… you four! Stand around the queen, protect her at all costs. Two of you to the prisoner's side, two behind , and two on each door. Do not let it escape if it breaks its bonds."

Elsa smiled again, not surprised that Odvin had adapted so quickly to his new troops. Her creations saluted, and marched strongly and surely to their posts. This was the first time she had truly focused on a creature of living snow. Olaf had been created almost by accident, and Marshmallow had been formed by her fear of hurting Anna. But these had been formed by her will, exactly as she wanted them. She was pleased.

Elsa turned her attention back to the prisoner, who had not moved after its helmet had been completely removed. "Can you talk?" she asked. There was no response. Elsa shook her head. "We know you can move. Signal your understanding." Still the figure did not stir, its face remaining impassive. "Fine then. Let us see how hot you burn."

Elsa had a hunch. All of her creations could not feel pain, but they could become angry, especially when their purpose was being compromised. Though the thought of what she was about to do made her feel a bit queasy, it was not really torture. Not if it couldn't feel pain.

The Queen of Ice and Snow focused on the space immediately around the prisoner, careful to exclude the rest of the room from her powers. It would not do to freeze Odvin while he was still so excited at ordering around creatures of living snow. "Focus Elsa," she reminded herself. The future of Arendelle could depend on getting this thing to speak.

The temperature in the center of the room plummeted. Ice formed instantly on the prisoner's armor, despite the heat of the flames. The prisoner's face began to fade, though it kept the same impassive expression. As the metal of the creature's armor began to squeal from the cold, the prisoner stirred at last. And then it spoke.

A muted roar, no louder than a log fire but carrying the threat of a burning forest came crackling and popping from its mouth. "You know I cannot feel pain."

Elsa had to suppress her surprise and fear at the creature's voice. "I know. That is why I am doing this."

"What point is here in torturing one who cannot feel pain?" The face looked genuinely puzzled.

"None," Elsa answered, "I merely desired a response. And if you would not, I would try to snuff you out."

The figure laughed, a horrible sound like crushed glass on broken bones. "And are you pleased with your success?"

Elsa ignored this. "I ask you again, who is your lord?"

The face of flames, dimmed but not gone, merely smirked at her.


End file.
